Wildlifeof Thailand
Large-toothed Ferret-badger
Mustelidae
Photo: (c) Utain Pummarin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Melogale personata
Basic stats
Diet
Insects, snails, worms, small vertebrates, eggs, fruit and plant material
Habitat
Forest, grassland and other dense ground cover
Range
Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia
The large-toothed or Burmese ferret-badger is a small mustelid with a long body, short legs, broad digging claws and a dark coat marked by pale facial patches and a light dorsal stripe. Its unusually massive teeth help crush hard-shelled insects and molluscs (Animal Diversity Web; Mammal Diversity Database).
It ranges from the Himalayan foothills through southern China and mainland Southeast Asia, including Thailand. Mostly nocturnal, it forages on the ground and sometimes climbs, eating insects, snails, worms, small vertebrates, eggs, carrion, fruit and plant matter. Thai records span hill evergreen forest, pine forest and grassland (Animal Diversity Web; regional field records). It is Nationally Data Deficient (Thailand Red Data 2025).
Quick answers
- What does the Large-toothed Ferret-badger eat?
- Insects, snails, worms, small vertebrates, eggs, fruit and plant material
- What habitat does the Large-toothed Ferret-badger live in?
- Forest, grassland and other dense ground cover
- Where is the Large-toothed Ferret-badger found?
- Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia